RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Does tamiya acrylic paint go off I started to do camo on my panther but it's not covering well after 2 coats the paint is about 3or4 years old

Cheers
Chris

I think it is more likely the conditions that are to blame for the problem, A cold damp Garage/Workshop will mess up the most carefully prepared job,
Tamiya's Rattle cans and their little bottles are pretty much foolproof as long as you give a long shake to the former and a decent stir to the latter (After mixing in a dose of Isopropanol-Acrylic thinners).

Probably better off buying new batch

Hit the subject with a hair dryer until its good & warm, then hit it immediately with the paint, then if necessary, again over the paint with the dryer.

I have used old paint without fault, but have used new paint in poor conditions that didnt work well.
Pre-heat and if required, post-heat.

If in doubt l always use a fresh can / pot if what l'm painting has value. Like HB, l try to create a warm, dry, dust free environment. Right now, in t he UK, that puts outdoors right out of the picture!

Speaking of paint, l was advised recently by a hobby shop to always store rattle cans on their lids. Did he see me coming or is there sound logic in that?

Sorry forgot to say I'm not using spray paints I'm hand painting in my kitchen I did a kingtiger few years back no probs doing that but thanks for some good tips

raven wrote:Sorry forgot to say I'm not using spray paints I'm hand painting in my kitchen I did a kingtiger few years back no probs doing that but thanks for some good tips

Paints do lose some of their fluids due to general evaporation and heating/cooling cycles which usually results in a thicker/clumpier pot of paint. As stated. a bit of acrylic thinner added will make a difference, even a 1/4 ml can be enough to revitalize it.

When I had a hiatus in painting, I had Tamiya acrylic paints that had remained unopened for almost two decades). The colours had separated, but a good shake in the mixer solved that.
Compare that to the cheaper ones (Anyone remember Ral Partha Paints?) which after 20 years were SOLID and dry as a desert. Tamiya's lid seal design works well at... "GASP"... sealing... which is why I still shy away from stuff like citadel and "snap-open" lid paints...

More than once I have had to use a pipe wrench to undo an old Tamiya Paint Pot.BUT the Paint was in perfect condition

Hi,
I only use Tamiya Acrylic paint, some of my stock is ten yrs old and has been said above its still in perfect condition.
The issue is probably separation of the paint and its medium, if left the paint drops to the bottom of the jar and the water based medium floats to the top and that is very weak.
Stir the jar well with a screwdriver or such and then when its mixed shake it up a while.
Tamiya state it can be brushed on, but in practice i find the results leave much to be desired, especially if over a larger surface, its much, much better when sprayed in multiple thin cotes.
Regards.
Sub.

I have a number of bottles of paints over 20 years old. I clean the top of the bottle every time I use a paint, close it tightly, but with care, turn it upside down, and shake it a few times. It's troublesome, but the paints last and last and last.

Tamiya is not good for brush painting larger areas, as your experience is showing you. However, for spraying, either through the airbrush our out of one of Tamiya's spray cans, it's downright excellent.

For brush painting, I find Vallejo "Model Color" to be tops in coverage.